Seychelles' Fitching Ratings at BB- with a positive outlook is a good indication that the country is doing well in regards to the macro-economic indicators set, said a top government official on Thursday. The statement was made by Secretary of State for Finance, Patrick Payet, when giving the the government's reactions to the Fitch Ratings, supported by relatively high-income levels, strong World Bank governance indicators, and support from multilateral creditors. Fitch said, «Seychelles continues to have strong performance against benchmarks of the International Monetary Fund's Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) programmes, which collectively total $102 million, 4.7 percent of 2023 GDP, worth of funding over three years to 2026, of which 32 percent has already been disbursed.» In his reaction, Payet said, «We have a clear plan as a government and as a country, and also the fiscal policy that we have put in place to reduce our debt to almost 50 percent by 2029.» He said that the government has a primary balance target for 2024 of 1.1 percent of GDP. Payet gave detailed actions that Seychelles is taking to ensure it keeps its outlook good, and this includes a new national strategy plan that sets out what needs to be done in the next five years to diversify the economy and transform the economy. He added that the latest rating will be a useful tool, should the government or private company need to borrow funds from overseas. «Any lending institution will use the rating agencies as an indicator of what is happening in the country to assess the indicative borrowing cost or lending rate for the government or that company. For us, we have good indicators that we can use when negotiating a lending rate and interest rate with the financial institutions overseas or if we want to maybe have a bond in the overseas market in the future,» he added. Payet said, «A very good interest rate will minimise the interest borrowing cost in the budget, so it will allow the revenue that you are collecting to invest in public infrastructure or social services and social infrastructure as well to be used for the country.» He said that Fitch Ratings has examined the monetary policies and «seen that it is in good shape and our financial system is stable, we have political stability and that one of the vulnerabilities we have is in regards to climate change.» Seychelles is heavily exposed to risks from climate change, with impacts already being felt primarily through the rising intensity and frequency of storms and flooding that are rendering some coastal infrastructure unusable. Payet said the rating «allows for more foreign direct investment (FDI), so investors when they are coming into our country, they will use those indicators and this will attract more FDI and this will create more growth for the country and as a result, more employment will be created.»
The National Assembly unanimously adopted a motion to designate Seychelles Deaf Language as an official national language, marking a significant milestone for the islands' hearing-impaired populationin. The motion was brought forward by Regina Esparon, the Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS) elected member for Glacis, on behalf of the Women's Parliamentary Caucus, coinciding with the Deaf Week 2024. During the session, members conveyed their solidarity with those suffering from hearing loss and their appreciation for the professionals and volunteers who serve this group. They pledged to keep improving the lives of people who are impacted. In her presentation, Esparon emphasised that more than 1,000 people in Seychelles are deaf or have hearing loss and that the Association for Deaf People was established in 2005 to ensure that individuals can enjoy their rights without discrimination. «Sign language is essential for communicating with deaf individuals, yet many are often deprived of this right, hindering their emotional and educational development. This exclusion limits their job opportunities and integration into society. By making Sign Language an official, we empower them to lead fulfilling lives,» said Esparon. She underlined the need to give deaf students access to sign language instruction and the right to a high-quality education in an inclusive setting. Many deaf children around the world are not given access to their basic education and access to public services intended to support them is made more difficult by a lack of knowledge about sign language. Esparon called for greater educational initiatives to accommodate all students with hearing problems up to the university level and demanded that sign language be used in media and organisations. Under the direction of Anita Gardner, sign language is currently taught at Mont Fleuri, where students study a variety of disciplines, including home economics. In support of the motion, every member from both parties, the other being United Seychelles (US), who spoke during the intervening period emphasised its advantages for people with hearing impairments as well as their rights to live normal lives in inclusive settings without being excluded because of their disability. SNA spoke to Anita Gardner, chairperson of the Association for People with Hearing Impairment (APHI) who expressed her excitement about the motion's approval. «This decision will finally align governmental policy to international standards. Seychelles has already signed conventions relating to the rights of people with disabilities, that state that Seychelles Sign Language must be recognised. This is a big achievement for the Association. It is a victory for people who are hearing impaired, where they may also feel equal with the same level of importance as everyone else,» she said. Gardner added that making Sign Language a national language would now mean so much more for the youth. «Language is how we access information and education. It is their right to be recognised and to be able to contribute to society. Its inclusion in schools will be obligatory. Where kids will have the option to learn this language,» she added.
Montreal-area politicians have implemented or proposed bans on basements in flood-prone parts of the city as climate change raises the risk of heavy rains. Research also shows that basements help speed up climate change. Is it time to stop building them?
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Mogadishu (HOL) — Somalia's Foreign Minister, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, has ruled out any immediate prospects for direct negotiations with Ethiopia regarding their maritime dispute, citing Ethiopia's refusal to renounce its controversial agreement with Somaliland.
City leaders say the years-long effort to rebuild the Minneapolis Police Department, while not over, is starting to be seen and felt—nearly two dozen more officers, including new firsts, are on the force following a graduation ceremony.
NAIROBI, Kenya (HOL) — A Kenyan court has ordered Premier Bank to release KSh 26 million ($201,942) from Somali Embassy accounts to Kingsly Construction Limited, concluding a three-year legal battle over unpaid renovation work at the embassy's Nairobi compound. The court rejected Somalia's claim of diplomatic immunity.
A special working group has been created to deal with organization of those meetings, Antonio Oburu Ondo added
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lin Jian also said that Beijing is willing to contact relevant parties and jointly promote a political solution to the crisis
On September 16, the US Department of State announced the decision to impose sanctions on four Georgian citizens allegedly responsible for human rights violations
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Le fils de Heimoana Lintz s'est donné la mort le 8 août dernier alors qu'il n'avait que 28 ans. Son addiction à l'ice l'a plongé tout droit en enfer. Aujourd'hui, ce père endeuillé milite pour la mise en place d'une structure d’accueil dédié aux toxicomanes. Témoignage dans cet article.
Un incendie s'est déclaré dans la ville de Papeete, du côté de Tipaerui, vers Technival. La fumée se fait ressentir un peu partout dans le centre. Les secours sont sur place ainsi que nos journalistes qui étaient en direct.
According to the statement, the plan is to carry out prefeasibility study by November
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According to the statement, the sides have discussed possible extension of bilateral trade and economic cooperation and its promising trends, including the supply of Russian industrial and oil and gas equipment to the country
«We assume that demand for oil and petroleum products will increase beyond the 2030-2035 horizon,» Alexander Dyukov poited out
According to the report, «no shift in Washington’s stance on the use of the long-range missiles was announced»
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Alexander Dyukov said that much will be determined by the economy of supplies
The Syrian Defense Ministry said that Israel «carried out an air aggression from the occupied Golan Heights»
Vice President of the Republic of Malawi, Right Honorable Dr. Michael Bizwick Usi, officially launched the 2024 National Energy Conference on Thursday, September 26, 2024, at the Bingu International Convention Centre, where he served as the guest of honor. In his keynote address, Dr. Usi said Malawi faces significant challenges in the renewable energy sector, […] The post Vp Usi On Renewable Energy: Calls For Urgent Action To Transform Malawi’s Energy Landscape appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.
Malawi is at the forefront of a rapidly escalating climate crisis, experiencing its dire consequences daily. Speaking on the sidelines of side event of climate adaptation action in Africa in New York, USA, President Lazarus Chakwera emphasized that climate change is not merely a global issue; it is the defining and urgent challenge of our […] The post Chakwera at UN: Urges Global Action to Address Escalating Climate Crisis appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.
In his insightful analysis, Al Bashir bin Abdul Aziz delves into the intricate distinctions between political alliances and coalitions, particularly in the context of Malawi’s political environment following the 2020 presidential elections. Through this distinction, he highlights the fundamental differences between these two forms of political partnerships and questions whether Malawi’s current governing structure under […] The post Analyzing Al Bashir bin Abdul Aziz’s Perspective on Alliances vs. Coalitions in Malawi’s Political Landscape appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.
The alumni community of the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS), formerly known as The Polytechnic, is set to reconnect at an interactive event on Saturday, September 28, 2024, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the main campus in Blantyre. Organized by the MUBAS Alumni Association in collaboration with the university, the […] The post MUBAS Alumni Community to Reconnect at Interactive Event appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.
During a recent speech in Mzuzu, His Excellency Prof. Arthur Peter Mutharika JSD urged Malawians to be careful in their decisions for the upcoming elections, warning that careless choices could lead to dire consequences. He reminded the audience of the 2020 elections, where he cautioned that the choice was between development and politics. Unfortunately, many […] The post Opinion: APM is a symbol of proven leadership—tested, tried and trusted appeared first on Malawi Nyasa Times - News from Malawi about Malawi.
China’s new Zhou-class nuclear submarine sank in a port near Wuhan several months ago, several US news outlets have reported Read Full Article at RT.com
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